Darkrai was unsettled.
In the past, under the influence of Cresselia, the Lunar Pokémon, its heart had softened greatly.
For weaker Pokémon, it would often extend a helping hand.
In more serious cases, it would even bestow a fragment of its own power upon them.
But as time passed, Darkrai realized that for some Pokémon, those gifts became more of a curse than a blessing. Instead of gaining help, they became targets outcasts, treated as dangerous by everyone around them.
So, it quietly began to reclaim the power it had scattered.
But by the time Darkrai noticed, much of it was already lost.
Some fragments had dispersed too far, others were tied to Pokémon that had since died, making them impossible to recover.
Over the years, the loss had even diminished Darkrai's own strength.
Fortunately, every fragment was still faintly connected to it.
That meant there was no rush. It could wait, and when the time was right, it would call the fragments back.
In fact, Darkrai had noticed something curious when its power was placed in others or scattered across places, its own growth sometimes accelerated.
That only made it more willing to share its strength.
But now…
That connection had vanished entirely.
This time, it couldn't remain calm.
A severed connection meant only one thing: that fragment no longer belonged to it.
"No… I must find it."
Darkrai lingered for a moment, then finally decided to leave and track the last place where the fragment had remained.
…
What was thought to be just a short storm had dragged on for five or six days.
If a summer rain could be refreshing, this endless stretch only weighed down the heart.
Even as the downpour softened to drizzle, the constant gloom stirred irritation.
Lin Feng even found himself wondering whether he should ask Dragonite to carry him over the ocean and see what was happening.
Life had been quiet.
Only a few trainers from outside the town dropped by the nursery, buying energy cubes. Most were old customers.
Even Eevee had grown a little restless.
Ever since arriving here, it thought constantly about when its two companions could be brought over.
Compared to its old home, the food here was far better.
And Lin Feng never restricted it. Wherever it wanted to play, it was free to go so long as it didn't make a mess of itself.
Because of that, Eevee's desire to share and show off had only grown stronger. It couldn't wait for Ashan and Afive to come join it.
Finally, on September 22, the skies cleared.
The weather was cloudy, but at least the storm had ended.
That morning, Lin Feng rose early and was busy at once: milking Miltank, crafting energy cubes, making green dumplings.
The entire day passed in steady work.
By afternoon, when he finally set down his tools, he felt weary.
He had assumed the cubes he'd made during the storm would last for days, but since no one had visited during that time, today everyone came all at once.
The stock he had carefully built up vanished in a blink.
Which meant today had been even more exhausting than usual.
"Phew…"
Watching even the Alcremie slump from fatigue, Lin Feng couldn't help but laugh.
It seemed even they had reached their limits.
"By the way, it should almost be two weeks now, right?"
As he hung up the closed sign, Lin Feng muttered to himself.
With Gardevoir's curse finally resolved, there weren't many things weighing on his mind.
Still, several matters remained unfinished.
First, the mystery egg event in Changsha City.
He had never found the time to go. Even when Chi Chang called to remind him, he had put it off.
Truthfully, the game didn't matter much to him now, so he hadn't bothered.
Second, the road construction.
He had more than enough money saved, but again, time had slipped away.
Third, the Growlithe egg promised by Mayor Han Yu.
He still didn't know when it would arrive. The mayor had only said Arcanine was pregnant, but never mentioned how far along. Normally, the pregnancy lasted just over two months, but without more details, there was no way to tell.
Fourth, and most anticipated of all, was the butler Pokémon Leon had mentioned.
Lin Feng thought about it almost daily.
And today, just after closing, he glanced down the stone path lined with flowers. For a split second, he thought he saw Leon walking quietly toward him.
When he rubbed his eyes, the figure remained.
His face lit up.
This wasn't an illusion.
Leon really had returned.
As Leon drew closer, Lin Feng noticed his appearance had changed again.
This time, he wore a casual hoodie with gray sweatpants, a travel backpack slung across his shoulders, and a belt lined with Poké Balls at his waist.
It was the look of a trainer about to set out on a journey.
Leon stepped onto the nursery's porch with a smile.
"Lin, you seemed busy today. I waited at the entrance for a while until everyone had left."
"Huh?" Lin Feng blinked in surprise, then quickly said, "If you're coming, you can come straight in. There's no need to wait outside town."
Leon shook his head. "It's fine. I prefer it this way."
…
Lin Feng had come to understand Leon's character.
He was the type who disliked troubling others.
Honestly, that kind of personality only led to hardship.
Because someone who bottled everything inside eventually carried crushing pressure alone.
It reminded Lin Feng of Beedrill.
People often said Pokémon reflected their trainers.
And that Beedrill's temperament had been just like Leon's only worse.
Even in pain, it had hidden its suffering, keeping the truth from its trainer, until the problem grew beyond repair.
To Lin Feng, such a nature was not a strength.
"Alright then," Lin Feng said kindly. "Would you like something to drink? Or… is there another issue with Beedrill?"
Leon shook his head.
"No, not this time. Lin, I actually came to say goodbye. I'm leaving on a new journey. This time I've chosen Kanto, so I probably won't return to the Eastern League for a long while."
"Goodbye?" Lin Feng was taken aback.
But the Grand Convergence Tournament was still months away…
Unless
His expression shifted with sudden realization.
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